#The iconic ’90s pop group

[thesecretdiaryofa90sgirl]

The Spice Girls

[mamanbou]

the thing of it is if we all just individually liked or disliked taylor swift, it would be normal, but as it stands there are people who are obsessively reverent (and defensive) over everything about her and those people are insane and insufferable and wrong. and there are people who hate her vehemently and refuse to entertain the idea of any value (or even acknowledge talent) in anything she makes and those people are generally not insane but they're also kind of insufferable and observably wrong. everybody needs to stop talking about this woman online until we can figure out whats going on

[247liveculture]

The Jacksons

[ubemischief]

'Wannabe' Inspired Outfits

[thesims4blogger]

“Urban Homage” and “Party Essentials” Kits Announced

After a small leak yesterday, The Sims 4 officially announced its next two kits: Urban Homage and Party Essentials.

The first one comes in collaboration with @Ebonix, and is said to bring inspiration on 90s and 2000s fashion from London, UK. The other one, as its name suggests, focuses on party decoration, including a disco ball and a fog machine.

Both kits are coming out next Thursday, April 18th, so we can expect a patch on the 16th. Read the full blog announcement below.

On Point Looks and New Party Vibes

The Sims 4 Urban Homage and Party Essentials Kits Are Coming to The Sims 4

The party is just getting started! Step onto the scene in the trendiest threads and set the stage for unforgettable celebrations this season in The Sims 4.

With The Sims 4 Urban Homage and Party Essentials Kits, players can style their Sims in Simmer and gaming content creator, Ebonix’s favorite London city-inspired fashion and deck out party venues with festive decor for electrifying celebrations that will get Sims buzzing.

90s Vibes and Vibrant Motifs

Dress to impress with The Sims 4 Urban Homage Kit, created in collaboration with multi-award-winning gaming content creator and DE&I advocate, Danielle “Ebonix” Udogaranya.

Turn heads and make your Sim stand out as the ultimate virtual style icon with looks that offer a fresh take on nostalgic London city-inspired 90s and Noughties (a UK expression for the years between 2000 to 2009) fashion trends, with lively patterns, vibrant graffiti motifs and eye-catching accessories. These modern looks are bold and unapologetic, inspired by a time and place near and dear to Ebonix.

With striking ensembles and statement pieces such as iconic overalls, butterfly tops, eye-catching layered jewelry and glamorous new nails, Sims can confidently strut in style and express their individuality in more ways than ever before. Advertisement

“When I came up with Urban Homage, the pitch [to Maxis] was paying homage to the 80s, 90s, and 00s,” says Ebonix. “[The Kit] is inspired by the urban chic culture which highlights the innovation, diversity and vibrancy that city life fosters which I very much embrace as part of my day to day wears. So with that said, I wanted to bring to life some timeless pieces that tap into eras that we draw inspiration from and are still the blueprint of fashion innovation to this day, with a variety of outfits that are dynamic and vibrant, traditional and contemporary, and rich with cultural trends!

Fun fact: The numbers on the basketball shorts are actually the birthdays of Ebonix’s mom (24), dad (18), best friend (16), goddaughter (14) and her own (10)! She felt this would be such a beautiful, personal touch to commemorate and pay homage to the people who mean the absolute world to me.”

Celebrate with Flair

Amp up your festivities and make your epic parties unforgettable with The Sims 4 Party Essentials Kit!

Whether your Sim is hosting a lavish Landgraab luncheon or a raving rager for the Roomies, The Sims 4 Party Essentials Kit has everything you need to make your next celebration the talk of the town. Advertisement

Dazzle and delight with playful party props, including eye-catching streamers, an entrancing fog machine and a versatile bar that can stick around after the party. Add some drama to everyday decor with lively and unique new items like a mesmerizing disco ball. Set the perfect vibe with coordinated party decorations or mix and match to set the mood and make memorable Simstagram posts pop.

Form your group and let the good times roll in style. Shpansa!

The Sims 4 Urban Homage and Party Essentials Kits will be available on April 18, 2024 on PC via EA app™, Mac® via Origin, Epic Games Store and Steam®, PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One systems.

The Sims 4 Urban Homage and Party Essentials Kits require The Sims 4 base game, available free to download with all game updates. See minimum system requirements for the pack.

[britcision]

Not gonna lie, we’ve been watching YuYu Hakusho alongside the release of Delicious In Dungeon and uh

It’s been illuminating

Like on the one hand hoooooooboy you can taste the 90s animation techniques (and the Netflix version is somehow more strobey and seizure bait, and they’ve fucked random chunks of audio?? I have the dvds I can prove they’ve fucked around)

On the other hand… yeah, it really, really highlights what people have already been talking about with the Delicious In Dungeon - the pacing issues, especially with going shot for shot from the manga instead of embracing their own medium

Cuz I will stand by YuYu Hakusho being the best anime version of a manga I’ve ever seen. It’s true to the manga, but keeps up the pacing and fleshes things out by leaning more into the side characters, and particularly our audience surrogates, Koenma and George

The fights all pace well because we cut to the people watching them, so it’s not just repetitive punch punch punch shots (although we do get those)

Whereas this week’s episode of DunMeshi in particular…. Really suffered from skewed pacing on that fight

They had way too much time just standing around talking, both with the harpies and in between Falin’s attacks, and I’d bet even an anime-only fan could pick out which shots were literal panels in the anime because nothing moved to flow between them

Those shots of the separated groups especially; this is anime, not manga. Those people could have been moving, interacting, doing things instead of panning over a still

I get that it takes more time and money but this was a really significant fight and it does make me worry a little for season 2, because the red dragon fight also had some pacing problems (although to a much lesser degree) and season 2 is when the combat pops off

I really do appreciate them wanting to do a faithful interpretation of the manga and sticking close to Ryoko Kui’s vision, but anime is its own medium and by sticking too closely they’re not taking full advantage of that medium

You have more time to fill in an animated episode vs a manga chapter because your characters literally move and flow, and three panels of action happen in a second

They’ve been folding two or three chapters into each episode, but this week’s especially (ep 17) really played too close to that two chapter timeline, instead of taking out the important story beats and the time to fill and working out how to pace around that instead

(Funnily enough though, they actually nailed the exact same kinda pacing issue in the exact same episode for the Laios and Shuro fight; that one was fucking great, it was clear that action was ongoing even while we focused on other people, and it had good weight and emphasis despite being largely offscreen, just like the harpy fight should have been

I. Guess. They coulda put more work into that than the Falin fight? Cuz it’s a huge character moment but for fuck’s sake Chimera!Falin SHOULD be the bigger one! We the audience got hints but this was the REVEAL)

Honestly just… the 1000% disinterest in the harpy fight was jarring, and it leading immediately into the Falin fight that was basically stop motion without the time lapse didn’t help

Cutting to Marcille and Shuro on the shirt tear was fucking great though, chef’s kiss, someone out there is still watching over us, I just hope they work out a happy medium soon

I get that there’s lots of iconic and fantastic panels in the manga, I made a complete summary of every single chapter, but the anime shouldn’t be showing them as stills

The characters should be moving in between them, not snapping from one face to the next like a slide show

In a perfect world I’d also love some more little character asides and things a la YYH, but there just isn’t the same easy audience characters to cut to

But but but

Thistle reacting a la Koenma to some snippets of the bullshit in his dungeon would give me fucking LIFE he can’t be watching all the time for obvious plot reasons but I want him to find a veggie golem

I want him to see the kraken and find some leftovers and be searching for Delgal and plotting their dinner and wondering why he can smell something delicious and what is it and can he make that

Move the background stuff that got cut from the Tances’ episodes, cut to Namari and the twins hanging out and talking about leg guards, there’s SO MUCH supplemental material

It might be less one for one to the manga but it’d stop the weird dragging out and give us something more, something extra to appreciate the anime on its own merits

It’s nice to have an anime experience that is very close to reading the manga, but it’s something really special to have the anime shine and add to the experience on its own

Anyway next week is the shapeshifter and I’m so hype for that and wondering if they are gonna include just a smidge of meta knowledge since Kui did tell us whose impersonations are whose 👀

[mallgawths]

Please "enjoy" this long, rambling, text post about all the toxic parts of being an early 2000s mall goth that's been sitting in my drafts for weeks.

I’m keeping this blog to be nostalgic for the years 1999-2004, but holy shit “mall goth” was such an insult back then, it meant you were a poser who just bought your outfit at Hot Topic.

Listening to Evanescence was a social death sentence and for posers, Emo meant “indie rock” about suicide and breakups, no one had heard of MCR yet and when they eventually did, it was for 14 year old posers. Marilyn Manson was corny and decidedly “not goth”, Blink 182 was for tweens who just discovered Avril Lavigne or for gross frat boys. All pop punk was for tweens and gross frat boys, if you liked them before the genre got big, too bad, but you could say they’re sell outs and you only like their older stuff. Nine Inch Nails wasn’t industrial because it was on the radio. If anyone had heard of an industrial band, they were too mainstream to be industrial. Wumpscut was for try hards trying to prove how industrial they were, some Skinny Puppy was ok, but only their oldest stuff, KMFDM was basically mainstream rock. Kittie was acceptable if you were a girl, all that 90s girl metal was fine actually, but probably only if you were a girl. Korn was for middle schoolers.

“Cringe” wasn’t really a word, but “poser” was, and if you spelled it “poseur”, you were trying too hard and obviously a poser yourself. If you said you hated preps, you were a poser. You were generally allowed to like one or two mainstream pop bands, but it couldn’t be anything current, and you had to be kind of ironic about it.

We used to call goths who we thought were beneath us “gawfs” or “goffiks” (side note: this is why it drives me crazy when people say they think My Immoral isn’t a troll, because saying “goffik” was like a huge “I’m actually a goth, making fun of worse goths on the internet” dogwhistle). These were, of course, all online because we only knew other mall goths in real life, and we all generally stuck together even if we didn’t like each other. We denied being goth if anyone called us such, because we knew we weren’t good enough at being goth to call ourselves goth. “Scene” meant any kind of alternative scene for a little bit, and when it finally mean big haired screamo, they were obviously posers, and they didn’t want to be called goth and we didn’t want other people to call them goths anyways.

The only acceptable goth music that was like real goth goth was either really unknown local stuff, stuff from the 90s that you had to have already been liking since the 90s, and like the iconic 80s goth bands. But not really The Cure, everyone liked The Cure, so you couldn’t just like them alone. But it couldn’t just be iconic 80s goth, because then everyone would be suspicious if you were a poser because everyone knew you were like just a baby when those songs came out.

We all shopped at Hot Topic because it was the only place to buy black clothes. But admitting your clothes were from Hot Topic was so embarrassing. Because everyone knew we should be buying from expensive indie designers online, or thrifting, or sewing our own clothes, or being more creative. So much goth style was vinyl fetish and BDSM stuff. If you were even vaguely goth people just assumed you were into that, or you pretended you were, even if you were like 14, which is really kind of fucked up?????

You could break all these rules if you were pretty and did good makeup. But maybe the rules were totally different for your friend group, there was no social media, this was even before MySpace, the internet was dialup and you only has access to it a little bit in the evenings or in the weekends. So there was no larger community to check up on. Just some forums full of completely anonymous people.

It’s weird seeing gen z use “mall goth” as a neutral description of an aesthetic, and actively calling themselves that. I’m intensely nostalgic for it, but still instinctively cringe when I see someone call themselves that and I think “No! Don’t say that! They’ll know you’re trying!”

Anyways, these are the toxic parts that came along with being a self loathing teen goth in like 2002.

[what-gs-watching]

“Cease and desist, bitch!”

News flash friends: job hunting is still terrible. Like, four months in and it’s still the worst. I finished two interview loops recently and I’m waiting to hear back and I have two others I’m trying to get through and it’s all hurry up and wait.

But then Netflix told me that GIRLS5EVA was coming to the platform, complete with a new season, and I got soooo excited. 

I’m sure no one has heard of this show, it was born on Peacock and it’s a Tina Fey joint but there’s definitely a super specific audience for it which is, basically, me. 

Were you born in the 80’s/early 90’s? Did you love all the random girl groups/boybands? Are you now barreling toward 40 and it’s just really depressing and terrible? Then Girls5eva is also for you. 

Wherein, four millennial women decide to reunite their early 2000’s girl group after their one-hit wonder is sampled on a new hip hop track. 

It’s hilarious. And really specific. And starring SARA BAREILLES who in real life is an incredible musician. Y’all remember “Gravity”? No? Even though it was featured in a Community episode where Annie cuts to a montage because she’s  trying to convince everyone that she and Jeff have had a ‘will-they-won’t-they’ thing going on all year? “Gravity” is the theme of that montage!

While you’re checking out Girls5eva, also listen to Sara Bareilles. The girl is a true fucking talent. 

ALSO, Busy Philipps. I LOVE Busy Philipps. And have loved her since Dawson’s freakin’ Creek and then AGAIN in Cougartown. 

(Side rant - Cougartown really is a wonderful show. Terrible name, but honestly incredibly funny and there are a ton of good running jokes and it’s just fun as hell. Courteney Cox got shagged on that one, it really is a gem.)

Anyway. There are 3 seasons and it follows the ladies valiantly trying to make a comeback while dealing with being normal people again after their brief shot at fame in the early 2000’s. Which, I think we all remember fondly but was actually a pretty gross time and the show makes sure you remember that - it was not great for women by any means and it’s still not great now but Girls5eva make it work. And it’s endearing.

And y’all, some of the songs are a fuckin’ bop. BPE? Aka “Big Pussy Energy” (the club remix) is the anthem we all need right now. “Kick down the doors no locks / I don't need a key / Eyes down here, yeah, I'm the centerpiece / Animal queendom feline synergy / Kickin’ down the doors, big pussy energy!” That shit gets you in the right frame of mind. I need more semi-cheesy female anthems in my life and I’m pretty sure you do too. 

Honestly, the show is really just about the fact that life doesn’t have to end after your 20’s, you can keep going after your dreams even if they’re ridiculous. And you can balance your regular shit while you do it. And you don’t need a man to define who you are. And you can leave toxic relationships if you need to. And you can grow as a person. And you can still be a crazy bitch sometimes and your friends will support you.

There’s a lot going on, and it’s all wonderful. Honestly, we need more shows about olderish female friends, with a touch of insanity. I don’t want regular female friends, I want batshit female friends doing ridiculous things. 

Also, lastly, Wickie Roy is a fucking icon. In a weird way because she’s struggling to live in a normal world and she refuses to compromise and she’s an absolute nutbag but in the best way possible. 

Basically, Girls5eva is making me feel better about my life. If they can get back into pop music, I can get myself another boring job and BPE is gonna help me get it done. 

“Momentum yeah / um it’s our moment / we’re contenders…”

[catelismo]

THE LOVE ALBUM ♥︎ CUPiDZ MEMBERS!

CUPiDZ (KR: 큐핏, JP: キューピッド) is a korean-japanese girl group formed and managed by PROJECT SEKAI.

they debuted on 26/12/2020, with the single "happiness" with the five-member line-up of LEEYEON, Y/N, LENI, MARI and KITANA.

sonically, the music of CUPiDZ reflects their group's offical colours "red" and "velvet": their predominantly-pop "red" side experiments occasionally with electronic and funk, while their "velvet" side focuses on '90s-influenced r&b with elements of ballad and hip hop. their genre versatility and catchy hooks have garnered critical praise all around the world.

(LEEYEON OR @YEONAOEEL) oldest, main rapper and leader of CUPiDZ, huge death note fan, likes cold drinks, follows an extremely sleep schedule (i couldn't never), world's best chief /j, due to scars in her childhood, she kinda had to have plastic surgery, has 2 moles (one under her right eye and one near her mouth), plants lots of roses.

(Y/N OR @BYENNN_) childhood friend of akito, main dancer, prefers rainy days over sunny days, makes playlists for every single person that she meets, headphone user, has a unique vocal range, almost starts all of the songs, bakes the group some cinnamon rolls during autumn/winter times, once tried leaking their upcoming single in secret, but got in trouble.

(LENI OR @LENIIINATE) main vocalist and the twin of mari, the actual responsible person besides leeyeon, always given the hardest part of choreos loves short hair as long hair is "overwhelming", former ballerina, passionate lyricist, follows one type of makeup tutorial, such like mari, varies in multiple of aesthetics (e.g old money to downtown)

(MARI OR @MARIIIATE) lead rapper and the twin of leni, literally the most insane person in the group, jirai kei icon, originally had vocal lessons but later trained to be a rapper, photographer of the group, sometimes directs the mvs, trendsetter of the group, loves dark and creepy concepts, such a bully (watch out for her ig), crazy at acrobatics, definitely a nightcore fan...

(KITANA OR @FLAWTANA) sub-rapper and the youngest of the group, mortal combat fanatic (+ the reason why her stage name is kitana), really good at dancing, majority of the time she listens to video game osts, drinks water with like 12 ice cubes, owner to millions of hoodies and sweatshirts, loves hiphop to death, occasional listener to rap + r&b.

THE LOVE ALBUM ♥︎ PREV | NEXT

notes. art cred goes to tamori_www on twt i think?? these characters were made in a span of minutes, but they're like... the members... so important!! vivid bad squad's next!!

notes pt.2. do i wanna damage my mental being and watch jjk or nah⁉️‼️‼️‼️

taglist. @starry-sky-melody @akitofixated @akitosheart @akitokisser @mizu-nights @kitorin @luhvashh @miya-akane @lunavixia @aki-pancake @layviyu

synopsis. music is life; music can be either contain the most depressing feeling that you've ever felt in a long time or the most heart-warming thoughts to think about. akito, a member of internationally known vivid BAD SQUAD, is a big sucker for music and when the hit korean-japanese group CUPiDZ suddenly pop in akito's head, he couldn't help but wonder that one of the members look like his childhood crush.

PROD. CATELISMO; any actions of plagiarism, distribution and tracing any of my works is strictly prohibited.

[deliciouswastelandgoddess]

Kinnporsche and Queer Dressing - The Genius of Kinnporsche's Wardrobe

Also read:

The Genius of Kinnporsche's Humour

The Genius of Kinnporsche's Intimacy The Genius of Kinnporsche's Plot Twists

I remember the first time I came across any KP content on Tumblr - it was the entire boat scene set where Kinn is leveling a gun at Porsche asking him to be his bodyguard and P just yeets himself off of the boat. I had no prior knowledge or context for this but I still remember thinking - this looks fruity as hell. And I know it was because of alot of things but primarily it was because of how Kinn was dressed. So I bring to you my take on how Kinnporsche utilizes each character's wardrobe to frame their queerness in the narrative - four characters in particular actually - Tankhun, Kinn, Vegas and Porsche.

I want to prelude this by stating that I like to think of Kinnporsche as a romantic/comedy/action show which happens to have a gay lead pair rather than a gay mafia show - I think the cast and crew have gone out of their way to make it feel that way as well because while there exists a distinctive queer experience of life, in the end people are people and no amount sexuality or gender differences will stop us from empathising and sympathising with a character.

A character's wardrobe can be a powerful tool in delivering narrative short hand. Some short-hands can contribute to creating excessively harmful stereotypes but if done right it can engage the target audiences (queer people in this case) by giving them something to relate to. It could be the way someone talks, or their body language, film references and ofcourse their clothes. To me it feels like the KP showrunners went out of their way to find stylists who were in touch with queer pop culture (both western and eastern) and how that reflects in men's wardrobe (all men I would say but gay and gnc men in particular).

1. Tankhun

Tankhun's style is representative of the early western media depiction of what a gay man would dress like. They haven't really confirmed his sexuality in the show so far but I don't think that matters. Even if he turned out to be straight, the roots of his wardrobe choices lay in the out and proud gays of the 70s, 80s and the 90s in the west.

Tankhun sticks to a masculine cut - blouses and trousers - but the fabrics and colors are not what you would expect from western traditional masculine attire. You see a lot of pink - a colour associated with femininity traditionally, eccentric prints, colorful necklaces, glitter, funny sunglasses, leather, furs, ruffles, and ostentatious jackets. He's confidently loud about his gender non-conformity.

It's also interesting to note that while garish colors or prints are not considered effeminate when it comes to traditional eastern clothing for men, the same group of people would consider it effeminate just because the clothes are western. Tankhun really embodies the idea of queer dressing as we see it in western pop culture - this is queer dressing at its loudest. Also I would give my left lung for that floral Cape he's wearing here.

2. Kinn

Kinn at first glance seems to be the antithesis of Tankhun when it comes to his dressing. He is always in his suits and button downs, hair always in place, luxury watches, etc. - he oozes classic western masculine elegance. Very Very masculine and very very elegant. Even his informal clothing and pyjamas are very crisp. But let me remind you again that it was his ombre suit that made me think that something very LGBT seems to be happening in this show.

Porsche should have clocked him the moment he turned up to Yok's bar in this absolute icon of a suit. It's the softest of colours - a faint blush - completely at odds with his first impression of mafia machismo. He still manages to look edgy in it but it's so so feminine and delicate. The legendary ombre suit is iconic not just because it's a beautifully put together fashion moment (I would give both my lungs for this one) but because it frames Kinn's queerness visually rather than just through words or dialogues. Kinn is also the only character in the story who actually calls himself "gay" like sure everyone is gay in KP but he's the only one who owns up to that label. So not only is he an out and proud gay man he's actually in touch with queer fashion sensibilities and not afraid to use feminine/gnc elements in his dressing. It's also great representation to have different types of queer characters expressing themselves.

Once you start noticing his dressing with a keen eye you can really see that very few straight men would dress the way Kinn does but it's a very subtle thing. His penchant for red, his earrings (oh lord his earrings), the rich boy knit t-shirts tucked into his cropped pants, the 6 inches of ankle over his little pull on shoes - he screams gay but like very quietly. The second time Porsche should have clocked him:

Again to add here, earrings aren't considered to be particularly feminine in many Eastern cultures. Also they are gaining mainstream popularity in the west as well. Thirdly steel jewelry for crime lords is a very old media trope. It's still a little fruity though.

Kinn's wardrobe is hands down my favourite in the show for multiple reasons and the understated queerness just makes it even more delicious. I could go on and on about him in just the first episode but alas we have to move on.

3. Vegas

Vegas is again on the subtler side of the queer dressing spectrum - I would argue he is even more understated than Kinn. He employs a bunch of interesting prints but that's actually pretty normal for asian mafia representation in media (eg: the guy standing behind Vegas in the gif).

His most telling outfit was this red satin blouse which is gloriously androgynous - the cut is pretty masculine, the fabric is feminine and colour is something between the two. It isn't soft at all (unlike the ombre suit) but it's very delicate - both delicate and dangerous - it's a lovely dichotomy. Interestingly this is also an outfit that evokes the way lesbians tend to dress which is a very different vibe to Kinn and Tankhun. I can't articulate why this screams lesbian™ but it does and i think it's very neat.

4. Porsche

My second favourite wardrobe in the show after Kinn's. He started out with the most basic straight manwhore™ outfits but slowly came into his queer fashion sensibilities. The stylists understood the assignment with him people. The tailored Italian pants with worned out t-shirts and old chucks just -*chef's kiss*- love to see it, very LGBT of him.

It's also a fun detail because clearly Porsche is a queer character but he isn't really in touch with queer pop culture so he's picking things up from his partner - he's learning. The high fashion Italian pants are obviously an influence from Kinn who is a much more experienced...ah gay, a learned gay, if you will - he be gaying alot longer than Porsche. Funnily enough though, even before Porsche started dating Kinn he exhibited quirks that I can only chalk up to him being a ✨bisexual✨ like not to sound like a Jane Austenesque puritan but what's with all the rolled up t-shirt sleeves huh??

It's an outdated term but Porsche's recent outfits really channel the Y2K metrosexual™. It's also lovely to see the fact, that there isn't a wrong way to be queer, represented in media. Porsche may not exactly fit into the well-read tuned-in category of the Twitter and Tumblr savvy woke™ LGBT community but he is woke because he is a decent human being. He is also the most traditionally masculine in his fashion choices (the cut, the fabric, the colors) amongst the four discussed in this post- the only remotely feminine thing in his outfits is the delicate silver chain and that's it but his wardrobe still manages to feel like it's catering to the...queer gaze, for lack of a better phrase.

~

There isn't really a conclusion to this post except that I really enjoy overthinking about weird details in the media I consume.

+Honorary mentions:

Lady Jessica and Tay - love what they have done with their gender, absolute legends.

[ultrakdramamama]

To size up the impact South Korean superstars SHINee have had on music is a difficult task. With a panorama that spans both K-pop and the world’s stage, the band’s dominance has grown exponentially since their debut 15 years ago. With their latest album, it’s also clear that SHINee’s future could only get even brighter. 

When someone goes around muttering, “Hard like a criminal, hard like the beat” under their breath for about two months straight, it’s bound to attract a few stares at the workplace. Especially when you yell, “We go HARD” when your colleagues enquire about your state of mind. But that’s SHINee’s effect for you. The lyrics from the title track of the legendary band’s eighth Korean language studio album, fittingly titled HARD, tend to imprint themselves on the listener’s temporal lobe. But this isn’t a new phenomenon for SHINee. Fifteen years since the band’s debut, it’s safe to say that they have created K-pop’s (and pop in general’s) most satisfying earworms and anthems, from Replay (2008) to Ring Ding Dong (2009), and Amigo (also 2008) to View (2015), to name a nanoparticle of songs off a daunting discography. ONEW, KEY, MINHO, TAEMIN – and the late beloved JONGHYUN – together form one of the finest, most well-rounded groups to emerge from South Korea’s competitive music industry, and their longevity speaks volumes about their talent and relevance. This includes solo projects, too – each of their individual offerings is a class apart.

So, how does one even begin to dismantle SHINee’s hypnotic hold on both their Korean and global devotees? To be honest, there is no need to divide them because once a ‘SHINee WORLD’ (the name given to the band’s beloved fanbase), always a SHINee WORLD regardless of age, gender or geographic distinction. With their vocal prowess, stage mastery, and dexterity of movement, they’ve filled stadiums worldwide through the course of a 15-year-long juggernaut. ONEW possesses one of the most iconic voices known to this oeuvre, with a dominant baritone and operatic tenor. KEY’s aura and presence is impossible to translate into words. MINHO’s a towering personality in terms of both talent and charisma. It’s also not hyperbole to state that TAEMIN is the king of movement – an unparalleled dancer, and a star. Together, they’re extraordinary. Solo, their personalities jump off the screen too. They’re each lovable matrixes of sass, humour, gravitas... clumsiness (the fans will attest to this). If one were to sum them up, ‘real’ would be the word to choose. Even though they’re revered in the industry, and active in all its different aspects – variety shows, musicals, performing on OSTs, solo projects, etc – they’re as humble as the day they started.

In this email interview, three of the band members dive into their music, providing perspective on the landscape they inhabit. ONEW, the leader of the band, is currently on hiatus for health issues. (However, he did send out a message to fans to reassure them of his rest and recovery and his imminent return.) One thing is for sure – it’s SHINee’s world, and we’re happy to be living in it.

You’ve always been completely ahead of the curve when it comes to genre, often blending several sonic elements in one album. In this album, for instance, you have wobbly drum and bass and soulful vocals on The Feeling, a really fresh take on the clear drum breaks of ’90s hip-hop on HARD, and dance-pop on Identity. Yet, you can tell a SHINee track from a mile away. How do you connect so many diverse sounds to the SHINee colour, and what – in the first place – would you say is SHINee’s colour? KEY: Rather than defining SHINee with one colour, I believe SHINee’s colour consists of all the colours each one of our fans sees us as. MINHO: SHINee is quite an interesting team because we have the ability to make any song into SHINee’s own colours. It’s our biggest weapon. We’ve built up this skill since our first album, and it only strengthened as we tried out various genres and concepts. Now, all our members know how to make any track SHINee-like. TAEMIN: SHINee’s colour is a combination of the various music styles we’ve experimented with. Without being limited to a specific genre, we capture several different colours and find SHINee’s own way of uniting everything into one.

Having said that, can you reveal the most “SHINee” song on this album for you, and explain why that would be your pick? KEY: For me, that would be the title track Hard, because it shows best all the efforts we’ve put into the visuals, performance, and recordings to demonstrate the genre of hip-hop. MINHO: It’s hard to select just one track. Many might say The Feeling but, rather than selecting one, I’d like to say this album in itself is “SHINee”, and it opens up our new chapter. TAEMIN: I’d say Satellite, because it shows the harmonious vocals of SHINee.

SHINee has a way of tapping into a collective sense of nostalgia – whether we go back to View, Married To The Music, or 1 of 1 even. Yet, you somehow manage doing this in a future-forward way with both your look and sound. How do you access and communicate a wide spectrum of emotions for people across borders and gender? KEY: Songs and melodies are very effective in expressing emotions and conveying messages to different people and genders. Though the lyrics might be interpreted differently depending on one’s culture, I believe a melody has a relatable power for everyone. MINHO: We try to convey emotions directly instead of hiding them. One of those characteristics is being upfront about how one feels and not hiding one’s emotions. TAEMIN: Even if we do not speak the same language, it’s the energy we’ve poured into this album that makes it possible for us to connect and communicate with those who listen to it.

Often, when you’re with a group of people who end up knowing you inside out, it helps you to see yourself more clearly. How would you say the close bond that exists between all of you has affected or changed you? TAEMIN: I was able to learn a lot from my (fellow band) members since they are all very talented. The bond we’ve formed through our time and experiences together is such a valuable gift to me.

People say there is always one side of the brain that’s more dominant. The left brain vs right brain – largely the analytical vs the creative. The artistes in you must make use of the right brain, but, to navigate this industry and learn from it, the left brain has to come into play. Given your successful ongoing careers, how do you balance the two sides? KEY: Balance is something I’m constantly thinking about not only as SHINee’s KEY, but also as an entertainer on variety shows so that I can continue to better myself and grow. MINHO: This is an interesting question that I’ve never thought of before. I probably use my left brain more since I’m always thinking about things that others might not have done yet or tried before. TAEMIN: When I tested myself, I found that my right brain functions better than my left!

Is it possible, as an artiste, to be happy and satisfied at the same time? MINHO: I’m not quite sure if happiness and satisfaction can be felt at the same time, though it’s different for each person. Even if I’m happy, I might not be satisfied, but I think that’s because I’m a bit of a perfectionist [laughs].

Can you talk about how the performance aspect of music has evolved for you over the years? Does it feel more poignant being on stage together again after a break? [The members of SHINee fulfilled their mandatory military enlistment duties, staggered, over the last five years.] KEY: I’m not sure if this properly explains it, but I’d like to think of our growth as ‘still strong’. As the years add on, there is a sense of pressure from wanting to show our best selves and great performances but, through this album, SHINee was able to show persistence and strength. Whenever I step on stage, it’s an overwhelming feeling. MINHO: You can see just how much we’ve grown through our performances. Compared to before, we’re more experienced so there’s a sense of ease. Yet we do feel more nervous when we return to the stage after a long time. ‘Will I be able to perform well on this stage? What if I make a mistake?’ These are the kinds of thoughts that run through my mind but that’s what brings out a perfect performance. The most important thing in all of this is to look as if you’re not nervous! [laughs] TAEMIN: The K-pop market has grown, and we’ve also benefited from that. The lifespan of K-pop idols has also increased compared to before, but I believe it’s (everyone’s) hard work that’s made this possible.

What sort of music are you gravitating towards right now? Do you connect music and movement given how proficiently you link the two? TAEMIN: I usually listen to calm music. I also enjoy humming or dancing along to whatever I’m listening to.

Fifteen years down the line, what is something you know now that you wish you had known then? KEY: That I don’t need to have any regrets because I’ve done my best throughout. MINHO: There are many things I wish I had known but, since I didn’t know anything at that time, I’d want to keep them a secret [laughs]. TAEMIN: What we’ve learned throughout holds greater value and meaning because of the process. If I were to say one thing to my past self, it would be to travel around the world more and study English.

Does the desire to experiment and the ability to actually be able to follow through with ideas become easier with time? KEY: It becomes harder with time but that’s why I make sure to put in more thought and effort to bring out the best I can.

As the world evolves at an almost breakneck speed, music evolves with it; you’ve also been witness to the shift in the influence of K-pop. How would you say the K-pop industry has also changed over these years as it has become a global phenomenon? KEY: From training to performing, everything has become very systemised and specialised. There’s also a wider variety of messages that can be delivered through performances. MINHO: K-pop has changed rapidly and, as a part of the generation that has seen that process of change, it is quite fast. The best development is the fact that the whole world can see what I’ve uploaded in seconds! TAEMIN: As a person who has been in this field for quite some time, I am amazed by K-pop. There have been a lot of changes through the years, changes that I did not realize at the time!

Looking back to when you started, would you say you are where you want to be as an artiste at this stage of your life? MINHO: I’m getting closer to where I dreamed I’d be when I debuted, but there’s still quite a way to go to get there.

How does the future look? KEY: SHINee will always remain the same. MINHO: The future will always be SHINee. TAEMIN: I’d like to live a happier life by giving back to our fans with good music and maintaining the precious relationships we have together. And I hope to perform overseas more often.

Would you please send a message to SHINee WORLD in India – any thoughts you’d like to share? KEY: I’m very much looking forward to the day we’ll get to meet our fans in person. Thank you for always showering us with love. MINHO: I’ve been to India before, but have not had the opportunity to perform. I hope that chance will come sometime soon, so please wait for us! TAEMIN: I really want to meet our fans in India and I’m sorry we haven’t been able to visit. I promise you we will create precious memories together!

[thesecretdiaryofa90sgirl]

The Spice Girls in NYC photographed by Ann Summa, 1997

[1997thebracket]

Round 3

Blur's Self-Titled: And when she lets me slip away… Some bands make their debut with an eponymous album (Placebo did the year before, as would Albarn's second great success Gorillaz) but Blur knew that declaration of self-actualizion was worth saving. Blur by Blur is the fifth studio album by the acclaimed English pop-rock-alternative-shoegaze-anything that'll stick-band, fronted by 90s coverboy Damon Albarn. The album brought us the singles Beetlebum and Song 2, the former of which debuted at #1 on the UK charts, and the latter of which would properly break in the US and give the band the footing on American soil they'd previously missed. Woo-hoo! Despite its mainstream success (the album is certified Platinum) Blur has a distinctly more experimental sound than their Britpop classics and explores rougher indie production sentiments; guitarist Graham Coxon centers his widening musical tastes and produces some of his proudest work, while Albarn has stated that the track On Your Own may be regarded as the first taste of Gorillaz-before-Gorillaz. Although it would not be the end of the road for the band's internal turmoil and eventual reconciliation, it would come to represent an era of growth and emotional authenticity in their music.

The Aqua v. Mattel Lawsuit: Life in plastic is fantastic... but outside of it, mega-corporations are litigious. In 1997, the world was introduced to the Danish-Norwegian group Aqua via their Europop smash hit Barbie Girl; the song was so big, in fact, that Mattel sued the band's American record label MCA over the lyrics and the use of their trademarked shade 'Barbie Pink.' Turns out Lady Justice would not be on Mattel's side as Barbie's original messaging rang true, confirming that girls in the 90s could be anything, including tongue-in-cheek pop performers protected under parody law. Mattel would even petition the Supreme Court (really!) while Aqua and MCA would file a countersuit, but none would find great success in litigation. The whole debacle is best summarized by Judge Kozinski's iconic line, "The parties are advised to chill."

[perpetualcynicism]

if i suggested a 1980s or ‘90s band au for xiao or cyno or something, would people be able to understand where i’m coming from?

like… i’m imagining them in ‘90s fashion clothes with a good old rock aesthetic and leather jackets and whatnot, possibly some ripped jeans…

cyno’d definitely have a bunch of egyptian mythology-related tattoos, and maybe dress in a kind of punk-rock style (but more subtle)? and he’d of course have his choker but probably studded with metal or something.

and then xiao might have a slightly more grungy aesthetic focusing around dark colours, and his teal highlights and red makeup and purple diamond would be an iconic combo all his fans know him for and they’d really pop against his dark clothing and he’d make this grunge-rock fashion sense somehow… elegant-ish?

maybe cyno’s band would be called the ‘eyes of ra’ or ‘HORUS’ or something, and he could be lead guitarist and backup singer, maybe? he probably wouldn’t have written that many songs of his own for the band but those that he did are iconic and some of the best-loved with awesome riffs and stuff like that. maybe his guitar pick would be a flattened coin with an eye of ra/ horus pressed into it depending on the band’s name, too, and his guitar would sort of be a purple-indigo colour with some iconic anubis design on it or something… and his hairstyle would be iconic as well and basically his whole existence would be iconic (as he should be.)

and then in interviews on tv or the radio and stuff if they got popular enough he’d be really serious and then crack these jokes out of the blue and it would be amazing.

and i sort of want to be more creative with xiao beyond the usual 4nemo group, so i was thinking he’d be in a band with the other adepti, called ‘protectors’ (possibly spelt with a z instead of an s) or ‘war machines’ or something; and their music would be more heavy metal-ish than cyno’s band but not completely, and cyno’s is more alt rock, maybe? xiao’d be on the bass and one of the main lyricists, occasionally dabbling in rap for some songs, and come up with these really great basslines…

and then their bands would perform in clubs and stuff on weekends or after university, and if they had posters for their bands they’d look so cool and they’d hang them up around the area and i’m spiralling back into that brainrot about the reader being a designer and approached by xiao to make a poster… but that’s besides the point (but could fit very well into this au…)

and obviously both cyno and xiao would have fan groups and simps and all that (and really, who can blame them) and people would stick posters and photos of them on their walls and all that good stuff.

apologies if this was slightly incoherent and unorganised but i needed to word-vomit my brainrots out…

[fuckyeslilkim]

Rapper Lil' Kim Has Had A Profound Impact On Fashion Over The Years

hen Lil’ Kim made her debut with the 1996 album Hard Core, she utterly and completely changed the rap game. A protege of Notorious B.I.G., and the sole female member of his hip-hop group Junior M.A.F.I.A., Lil’ Kim, aka Kimberly Denise Jones, had a flow that was raw and gritty, with raunchy, sexually liberating lyrics that made critics clutch their pearls. Hard Core went on to become certified double platinum by the RIAA, cementing the then-22-year-old as a bona fide hip-hop god. But it wasn’t just Lil’ Kim’s lyrical prowess that set her apart from her contemporaries that came before her. Her sense of style also made her a trailblazer, solidifying her as a pop culture fashion icon.

While other women rappers like Queen Latifah, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, and Da Brat favored more androgynous clothing, like oversize T-shirts and baggy jeans, Lil’ Kim’s outfits were ultra-feminine, bold, risqué, and revealing — as provocative and outrageous as her songs. She wore teeny-tiny bikinis, see-through silhouettes, candy-colored wigs, and equally vibrant fur coats. She also helped popularize ’90s and noughties logomania, a trend in which designer branding is made overtly obvious on one’s clothing and accessories (the antithesis to “quiet luxury”). In Kim’s case, logomania also applied to hairstyles, as she famously wore wigs with Chanel’s double “C” logo and Versace’s Greek key motif. (The move made sense for someone who frequently name-dropped designers in her lyrics). Aside from head-to-toe designer monograms, Kim has worn a sparkly catsuit made with 965,000 crystals, embellished headpieces with matching thongs, and a gray, floor-length chinchilla coat (which she modeled next to mob daughter Victoria Gotti in the video for 2003’s “Came Back for You”). The list goes on.

“She was bringing something new that we hadn’t really seen before,” says Elizabeth Way, fashion historian and associate curator at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). “For so long, female rappers had been kind of marginalized and really tried to fit in with their male counterparts, especially with their style. Lil’ Kim rejected that and embraced her femininity in both her style and her lyrics.” Marissa Pelly, stylist for the rapper Ice Spice, shares a similar sentiment, pointing out how the industry made female musicians feel like they couldn’t boldly embrace their sexuality while simultaneously being perceived as “chic” or “luxury” — as if the two concepts could not co-exist. “Now when I see female artists owning their sexuality, while also being muses for some of fashion’s most elite houses, I think of — and I thank — Lil’ Kim.”

Behind every celebrity style icon is a brilliant stylist; a wizard behind the velvet curtain, so to speak. For Lil’ Kim, it was Misa Hylton. One cannot discuss Kim’s vestiary tours de force without mentioning the industry legend by her side, who had already been masterminding looks for Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, Jodeci, and her then-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs. But theirs was a match made in fashion heaven; the two women felt an immediate kinship. “I think that Kim and I were magical together and when you have that type of synergy only greatness can come forth. We were thinking outside of the box and unapologetically taking risks. People gravitate to that type of authentic and creative energy,” Hylton told Dazed in 2018.

The two women set the bar high high from the beginning with a legendary look the promotional poster for Hard Core, Kim’s debut album: a leopard print bikini and a sheer, marabou-trimmed duster. The one-piece was designed by Sex and the City costume designer Patricia Field, who owned a store in New York City from 1996 until 2016. It was known to be a hot shopping spot for fellow performers like Debbie Harry, Lady Gaga, and Kim’s friend and frequent collaborator Missy Elliott. Hylton and Kim frequented Field’s boutique almost daily. In the years — and decades — that followed, both the look, and Kim’s signature squatting pose, would be replicated by the likes of Teyana Taylor, Nicki Minaj, GloRilla, and countless others.

Hylton and Kim also went all out for the “Crush on You” music video, directed by Lance Rivera. Inspired by the The Wiz’s color-changing Emerald City disco dance sequence, the video featured the star in monochromatic technicolor outfits and matching wigs — and instantly catapulted her to mainstream MTV fame. “When you think of the blueprint for most female musicians’ styles today, you think the designer logos; the iced-out, statement jewelry; and different styles of wigs — that was all her,” explains stylist Estelle Aporongao. “Kim’s DNA runs through the contemporary fashion industry’s veins.”

In 1998, Kim donned a bejeweled caged headpiece and matching arm sleeves to the 1998 Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, which felt like the ultimate statement. But the rapper topped herself yet again a year later when she attended the MTV Video Music Awards in a purple wig and lilac-colored, sequined jumpsuit, complete with a single purple pasty that garnered an unforgettable reaction from Diana Ross. The moment would become the stuff of award show legend.

That same year, Kim covered Interview magazine’s November issue wearing only a Louis Vuitton headgear and LV logos painted all over her body, a moment described as a “cultural reset” by celebrity stylist Audrey Brianne, who works with Chris Tucker and Tyler Posey. “At the time, it was a fresh idea no other star had rocked quite so boldly. If people weren’t already paying attention to Lil’ Kim by then, they were now,” she says.

To be clear, Lil’ Kim was interested in fashion long before she dressed in colorful furs. “Her high school friends recounted how she would spend her allowance on clothes and had Gucci before they even knew what it was,” explains Nygel Simons, a stylist and archivist, noting that the artist also worked at Bloomingdale’s prior to rapping full time. “It really shines through when an artist genuinely loves fashion.” Nowadays, it’s not out of the ordinary for a designer to dress hip-hop artists for red carpets or sit them front row at Fashion Week, but in the 1990s, that relationship didn’t really exist. Lil’ Kim had a je ne sais quoi that both attracted and inspired designers like Karl Lagerfeld, Giorgio Armani, Betsey Johnson, John Galliano, and Donatella Versace, who would dress her for her 1999 Met Gala debut.

Way long before Barbiecore would become a part of the cultural zeitgeist, Lil’ Kim sported a pink, full-length mink coat with a studded pink bra, matching hot pants, and pink snakeskin boots for the “Rock Style”-themed Met Gala. “Donatella is my girl. We’ve loved each other from the moment we first saw each other,” Kim told Vogue in 2020. “At the Met, you’re a designer’s muse, [and] she loved the fact that I have fun in her clothes.”

Lil’ Kim has also walked the runway for designers including Baby Phat, The Blonds, and VFiles. But her closest friendship is with fashion designer Marc Jacobs, whom she calls her “bestie” and who has played a significant role in her life and career. Jacobs dressed Kim for her court appearances and subsequently became her prison pen pal when she served a one-year sentence for lying to protect friends involved in a 2001 shootout. Kim sent Jacobs the Bratz doll coloring pages she painted, which he then had framed and hung in his house. Jacobs is also writing the foreword for her forthcoming memoir, The Queen Bee.

“These were interesting and important alliances for her during the early 2000s because it further legitimized the message to her fans and the public that her empire and reach extended well beyond music,” says stylist Alison Brooks, who works with television personality and hairstylist Jonathan Van Ness. “I believe it was a turning point, not so subtly signaling to other artists to bling themselves out in designer looks with confidence and embrace their curves with body positivity before body positivity became a thing.”

When it comes to her own work, Pelly says she’s strongly influenced by Lil’ Kim. “I love how effortlessly she would combine her own fun custom pieces with luxury ones, while also demonstrating a great deal of high-end fashion knowledge.” Pelly says she had this approach in mind while styling Ice Spice for the “Barbie World” music video, pairing a custom Chanel-inspired, Christian Cowan tweed set with a Barbiecore bra by Laser Kitten, custom Emilio Pucci, and pieces from the Gaultier archives. “It’s that duality that’s so inspiring to me and creates the most interesting, well-rounded looks every time.” She also drew ideas from Kim’s 2003 “Summer Jam” performance, in which she wears SS03 Jean Paul Gaultier script belts around her waist and chest. “I love when artists love the same brands I do... I tracked down the same belts for Ice’s Paper Magazine cover back in April as a nod to the OG style icon.”

It’s difficult to imagine what would have happened if Lil’ Kim hadn’t paved the way for women in hip-hop to take fashion risks. Cardi B might not have worn archival Mugler to the 2019 Grammy Awards, and who knows if Megan Thee Stallion would have modeled for Calvin Klein. Then there’s the countless Kim homages artists have paid over the years: Beyoncé replicated several of Kim’s famous looks for Halloween 2017; Rihanna has cited the rapper’s penchant for experimenting with different looks as a major influence on her own fashion sense; and Miley Cyrus dressed in Kim’s MTV VMAs look for Halloween back in 2013, purple pasty and all. It’s for reasons like these that stylists like Simons believe Lil’ Kim deserves official acknowledgement for her legacy, particularly from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. (For years, fans have been calling on the CFDA to honor Kim with its annual Fashion Icon award.)

One thing’s for sure: You’d be hard-pressed to find another hip-hop fashion icon with the same enduring legacy. “Lil’ Kim is the blueprint,” says Simons. “Whenever you think you’re being presented with something new, if you search hard enough, you’ll find that Kim has already done it at some point.”

[toomuchracket]

Ross’ pop star gf covering a 1975 song. Maybe a deep cut acoustic and she introduces it like ‘got some very special people in the audience tonight!’. OR it’s something like This Must Be My Dream and she makes it a dua lipa-esque banger with proper choreo and everything.

this is so fucking cute. like in the radio 1 live lounge or something!! and i don't even think it would have been you that would have suggested it - when it's time to pick a cover, one of your bandmates is like "you know, babe, ross and his mates really did pop off with settle down...", and you're like "agreed, but for us? could we do it?", and everyone else is like "we could and we SHOULD". and you're like "yeah ok this'll be fun. you know matty will die of excitement and then cover one of our songs, though, right?", and they're like "pfft let him try" lol. so you work on the arrangement, and you don't tell anyone what you're doing, except adam (who is very touched by the news), who you've roped into filming ross's reaction when he hears it on the radio for the first time lol - the boys are recording their new album, so they can't make it into the bbc studios to see you perform. anyway, on the day, everything goes really well for the two songs of your own you sing, and you and the girls are all feeling really good when it comes to the cover. and you introduce the song by saying "so, this is a song originally performed by some of our biggest fans, a group we're all quite fond of", and one of your girls is like "yeah, you especially! but this was my suggestion, not hers, and we hope we do it justice. here it is". the arrangement you've all done is a little bit slower, sexier, in a bit more of an r'n'b style (but still pop - 90s mariah/christina aguilera kinda vibe), with multi-part harmonies; it's so much fun to sing, and judging by the applause afterwards everyone else had fun listening to it too. the presenter of the show compliments you all, quite effusively, and then turns to you like "did you tell ross you were covering him?" and you're like "no, he has no idea. but he did text me before we came on air to say he was listening with the boys. so surprise, darling! hope we didn't murder your song too much, love you lol", which makes everyone laugh. and then when you check your phone after it, there's a video from adam of the boys in someone's car with radio 1 on - ross's eyebrows furrow so adorably when you say the "biggest fans" thing (matty's like "oh my fucking god. they're about to cover us. this is the best day of my life") and he blushes when your bandmate makes the "you especially" comment about him. when they realise what song you're doing, matty squeals, george goes "oh this arrangement FUCKS", and ross just beams before gazing lovingly at the radio as if he can actually see you; the rest of the video is just matty and george clutching each other giddily when the music/vocals sound really cool, and ross sighing totally lovestruck when you solo the second "soft sound" section (at which george elbows matty and says "she's so much better than you it's actually funny" and matty's like "mate i know. ross, your girlfriend is an icon", and ross just winks like "duh" lmao). and ross being lovestruck only increases after the song and applause (which the boys all join in on) ends - he smiles so sweetly when he's mentioned, giggles when you directly address him as "darling", cackles when you say you hope you didn't murder the song (matty's shouting at the radio like "you fucking improved it!!"), and puts his head in his hands like "i love her so much" when you say "love you" to him. yeah, it's all just so adorable <3